







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| I think that *hand caught on fire* thing is a joke! | |
| No, I won't... I don't want a house in Mayfair anymore! | |
| I'm just teasing you, dear, 200 degrees is okay! | |
| What do you think about him, Cate? | |
| Here you can take it, be careful, it's very hot. | |
| Is there anything else you want me to do? | |
| No, I haven't, I don't know what's yours in the fridge. | |
| Dear, who is it? | |
| No worries, I have got a peeler for you! | |
| Can you show me which clothes I need to put away, then? | |
| Yeah, it's better not to fully fill the bath, it leaks downstairs. | |
| Those kind of irresponsible people make me angry! | |
| I'm hungry, but it's better to have something when we meet the guys. | |
| Her name is Ayumi! | |
| That's why I never trust quiet people... | |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | |
| But I don't think I can use them all, there are too many! | |
| Okay, if you say so, I trust you! | |
| So Pogo gets on very well with dogs. | |
| It's the second one from the top. | |